"Do you know our friend? He moved to Minton recently."

Jimmy recoiled as the first guy walked toward him, holding out a sheet of paper. This was weird shit. He was naked, for God's sake! He didn't want some pretty boy invading his personal space!

Then he caught a glimpse of the paper-a computer printout of the Little League's Web site. He accepted the single page and stared at it long and hard-right there were Joe Mills and Charlotte, staring at each other like a middle-aged Romeo and Juliet on concession stand duty. It was vomit inducing. But he had to admit that the Sell-More banner ad at the top looked great LoriSue had done a bang-up job!

Then it dawned on him.

He raised his gaze slowly and smiled. Jimmy Bettmyer was a man of the world. He couldn't be fooled. He knew the game these guys were playing, and he'd help them out. Why not? They were the answer to his prayers!

"So ole Joe owes you some cash, does he, and you tracked him down?" Jimmy handed back the sheet of paper and checked to be sure his privates were still obscured.

The man glanced at his associate, then grinned down at Jimmy. "Yes. Joe owes us big."

Jimmy nodded knowingly. "I'll make a deal with you-you two run along and get me something to wear, and I'll give you his address."

The man's smile got wider, but it wasn't friendly in the least Jimmy never saw the man move until his arm was painfully wrenched behind his back. Then he was dragged, naked, down the steps and out the front door.

"No deal," the man said to him, shoving him in the backseat of a sedan and nearly sitting on top of him in the process. He got real close to Jimmy's face as the car sped away toward town. "Give us the address. Now."

Jimmy pressed the back of his head against the seat, now very afraid. Who were these guys?

Then he saw the gun.

He was going to die.

"Oh, shit."

"Si, sheeit," the man said, smiling for real this time. "Address, please?"

Jimmy took a breath so he could speak, finding his mouth painfully dry. "Hayden Heights subdivision. Twelve thirty-two Hayden Circle. Two-story contemporary stone and siding. Hey! What the fuck?"

Jimmy didn't know which hurt more-the way his skin shredded when his body slid along River Rock Road or the pain shooting through his left shoulder. Either way, he was now naked, hurt, and bleeding and at least five miles from home. Plus, his fucking car keys had been in the front left pocket of his pants.

He hoped those bean-eating bastards ripped Joe Mills a new asshole.

The first thing Joe did was grab all the photos-who knew what might be important in a few hours? The next thing he did was lean real close to the kid behind the counter.

"The store office. Where is it?"

The kid pointed to the far right corner, his mouth ajar.

Joe had Roger on the line in seconds.

"Guzman found me."

"Fuck!"

"Get Rich Baum's guys here-now. Get Charlotte and the kids out. Now. Find out how my cover was blown. I'm ditching my car and moving on foot. I'll call in fifteen minutes to give you my pickup location "

"Got it. Fifteen minutes-no more. Stay alive."

Now that she was inside the house, staring at the kitchen phone, Charlotte didn't have a plan. The truth was, she didn't even know if Joe had an answering machine. Come to think of it, she didn't know which of the four pancake syrups he would pick at IHOP, or his parents' first names, or if he voted in every presidential election.

She didn't know his blood type.

She didn't know what kind of bed he slept in: Queen? King? Water?

She was losing it. Correction: she'd already lost it Her hands shook and her face was wet from crying and the only reason she was in here was to hide her breakdown from the kids, who at this very moment might be fed up with waiting for her and already walking in the garage door.

She needed to pull it together. Fast.

But she was so confused! Why would Joe reject her? He said he loved everything about her. He said she'd never have to hold back again.

Then he read her poems and left!

Hoover would not stop barking. He hadn't stopped barking for the last several minutes, and it felt like her head was going to implode. She had no patience to deal with him at the moment.

Charlotte used a square of paper towel to wipe her face and blow her nose.

Then a horrible thought occurred to her. What if Joe really did just run an errand, but something happened to him? What if he was lying in the street? Decapitated?

Charlotte froze.

Good God! Now it sounded like Hoover was going berserk in there, letting go with a combination howl and bark she'd never heard before. Next, she swore the dog was throwing his body against the mudroom door.

This morning had been one for the record books.

She picked up the phone. No answer. No machine. No Joe.

Everything her lawyer said made perfect sense-she needed to stay civil for Justin's sake. She needed to keep a level head and think before she spoke. Yes those photos of Jimmy would come in handy, but Justin's welfare had to be more important to her than revenge.

LoriSue finished stuffing Jimmy's clothing into the plastic grocery sack and paused a moment before she tossed the bag down the basement steps.

Jimmy hadn't been the only screwup in this family and she knew it She'd messed up with Justin, and now it was time to make amends. She would spend more time with him and less time at work. She would apologize for losing sight of what was really important. She'd ask him for another chance. Then she'd do whatever it took to see that her little boy made it through the divorce with his laid-back happiness intact

The grocery sack hit the basement floor with a loud thud, and LoriSue groaned at what she saw-Jimmy's keys, phone, and wallet had just spilled onto the floor. That meant that Jimmy was at that house with no clothes, no money, no transportation, and no way to call for help.

As she went down the stairs to retrieve the bag, LoriSue told herself that she was going to be decent for Justin's sake.

So she got back in her car and drove east of town toward River Rock. About two minutes from the listing, she passed a homeless man shuffling down the side of the road in the dappled shade of the trees. She hit the brakes, checked her rearview mirror, and slammed the car into reverse.

"Jimmy? Oh, my God!"

He peered at her with hollowed eyes as she lowered the passenger side window. Inexplicably, he wore a pair of baggy work coveralls smeared with grease, and his hands and face were cut and bleeding. He stood lopsided, cradling an elbow.

"What the hell happened to you? Damn, Jimmy-get in the car and I'll take you to the hospital/9 She unlocked the door.

"Just take me home," he mumbled, gingerly lowering his body into the seat.

"Are you hurt?"

He blew out air. "What the fuck does it look like?"

Tm taking you to the hospital. Tell me what happened."

LoriSue saw that his feet were cut and bloody, too-the man looked like he'd been thrown from a moving train.

"Nothing."

"Jimmy-you could be seriously injured. You need to-"

"You need to shut up and drive me home!" He glared at her.

'Tine" She'd drive him home all right-then call his doctor. The doctor could call an ambulance and have him forcibly taken to the hospital if need be.

Jimmy slouched in silence as she drove.

"Tell me what happened."

"I've just had a real shitty day."

"You and me both."